Copyright: (C) 1996 Progressive Networks, Inc.


 Contents

The following Help Topics are available:

Introduction - A brief description of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.

Overview - Descriptions of the various parts of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.

Using the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta - Step-by-step instructions for using the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.

RealAudio Player 3.0 beta Menus - Information about the options on each menu.

Setting Preferences - Information about customizing the performance of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.

Troubleshooting - Answers to commonly asked questions.

For the latest information on RealAudio products and Web sites, visit the Progressive Networks home page at:

http://www.realaudio.com

The latest support and technical information is available at:

http://www.realaudio.com/help.html

For Help on Help, Press F1


 Introduction

Welcome to the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta by Progressive Networks. The RealAudio system is the premier real-time audio delivery system for the Internet.

Using the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta, you can listen to thousands of hours of live and pre-recorded clips, including sporting events, live radio stations, news, music, and lectures. In addition, the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta includes several different RealAudio Player components and provides access to a customized Timecast World Wide Web site.

For more information, refer to our web site http://www.realaudio.com

See Also:

New Features

RealAudio Players

Using the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta

Troubleshooting


 New Features

New features in the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta:

•	New Codecs - Eight new encoding algorithms, including several for connections faster than 28.8 Kbps connections. In addition, there are now multiple codecs at the each bandwidth to provide the best possible sound quality for the specific content type.

•	Stereo Sound - This is the first time any company has offered stereo sound for 28.8 Kbps modems. In addition, near CD quality sound can be delivered for ISDN and LAN connections.

•	Robust UDP - Improves sound quality by improving communication between RealAudio Player and RealAudio Server.

•	Java-enabled Plug-in - The Java-enabled Plug-in provides access to RealAudio programming within Java environments and extends the audio capabilities of your browser.

•	HTTP Streaming - Allows casual audio content providers to stream RealAudio sound. While this method is not as robust, it provides a reasonable method for providing RealAudio content.


RealAudio Players
 RealAudio Players Components

In addition to the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta, three different special-purpose RealAudio Player components are installed on your computer. The components work with different elements within World Wide Web pages to deliver RealAudio sound in a variety of ways. The RealAudio Player components are:

RealAudio Plug-in	The Plug-in provides access to RealAudio programming and extends the audio capabilities of your Netscape browser (Netscape Navigator 2.0 or later).
RealAudio Control for ActiveX	The Control provides access to RealAudio programming and extends the audio capabilities of your Internet Explorer 3.0 browser and Visual Basic applications.
RealAudio Xtra for Shockwave	The RealAudio Xtra for Shockwave provides RealAudio programming within a Macromedia Shockwave movie.
Java-enabled Plug-in	The Java-enabled Plug-in provides access to RealAudio programming within Java environments and extends the audio capabilities of your browser.


Overview of the RealAudio Player Plus
 Overview of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta

The RealAudio Player 3.0 beta enables you to listen to RealAudio files over the Internet or over a local area network in real-time, without downloading the sound clip to your hard drive. When you click on a RealAudio link from a World Wide Web page, your RealAudio Player 3.0 beta automatically opens and plays the file you have selected.

Overview of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta

Section	Description
Play/Pause Button	This button plays or pauses a clip depending on the status of the clip.
Stop Button	Click the [image] button to stop the clip.
Fast Forward/Rewind Buttons	Click either the [image] button or the [image] button to fast forward or rewind the RealAudio clip in 10 second intervals.
Position Slider	The slider moves as a clip is being played. You can fast forward or rewind to a different section of the audio clip by dragging the slider.
Link to the Progressive Networks Home Page	If you are connected to the Internet, click this button to link to the Progressive Networks Home Page - the Home of RealAudio. The icon displayed changes depending on the action of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta. The following are the icons that can be displayed and their meanings:
(Spinning)	Indicates that the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta is contacting a RealAudio Server.
	Indicates that the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta is playing an audio stream.
	Indicates moderate packet loss, sound quality similar to AM radio transmission.
	Indicates high packet loss, sound quality below AM radio transmission (garbled or choppy speech, skipping).
Title, Author and Copyright Text	The Content provider specifies the text in these fields; they normally describe the clip being played.
Volume Control	The volume control indicates the volume at which the clip is being played. You can increase the volume by dragging the control up, and decrease the volume by dragging the control down.
Status Bar	The status bar displays the current action of the Player. For example: Buffering, Playing 28.8 Network Stream, or Paused.
Stereo Indicator	This graphic indicates whether the clip currently being played is mono or stereo.  - Indicates that the clip being played is stereo.  - Indicates that the clip being played is mono.
Elapsed Time	The Elapsed Time is the length of time that the clip has been playing.
Total Time	The Total Time is the length of the entire clip. Note: When playing a live stream, the Total Time value is 00:00.0.
See Also:

RealAudio Player 3.0 beta Menus

Using the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta

Troubleshooting


RealAudio Player Plus Menus
 RealAudio Player 3.0 beta Menus

The RealAudio Player 3.0 beta has five menus: File, View, Clip, Sites, and Help. These menus allow you to take full advantage of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta features.

See Also:

File Menu

View Menu

Clip Menu

Sites Menu

Help Menu


 File Menu

Commands from the File menu allow you to play RealAudio files without using your World Wide Web browser to find files on the Internet and to exit the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.

Menu Option	Description
Open Location	Select this option to play RealAudio files through the Internet without using your World Wide Web browser. In the Open Location dialog, enter the URL (Internet address) of a .ra or .ram file.
Open File	Select this option to play a local RealAudio file. When the Open File dialog appears, select a .ra or .ram file stored on your computer.
Open Recent	Select this option to view a list of recently played clips. You can select a clip from this list to hear the clip again.
Exit	Select this option to exit the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.


 View Menu

Commands from the View menu allow you to control the appearance, to customize the operation, and view the performance of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.

Menu Option	Description
Info & Volume	Select this option to display the volume control, and the title, author, and copyright information for the clip; a check mark appears next to the option. Select the option again to hide the information; the check mark is removed.
Status Bar	Select this option to display the Status Bar; a check mark appears next to the option. Select the option again to hide the bar; the check mark is removed.  Refer to Messages for a list of messages that appear in the Status Bar
Preferences	Select this option to display the Preferences window for configuring the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta. You can set preferences from this window. Refer to Setting Preferences for more information.
Statistics	Select this option to display the transmission quality information in the Connection Statistics dialog. The Connection Statistics window reports the performance of the Internet connection between the RealAudio Server and the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.
Always on Top	Select this option to make the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta remain on top of all other windows, even when another window is active; a check mark appears next to the option. Always on Top is convenient for keeping the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta visible while you interact with your World Wide Web browser. Select this option again to allow other windows to open on top of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta; the check mark is removed.


 Messages

Buffering - Indicates that the Player has connected with a RealAudio server and is collecting the audio stream in the buffer (holding area) until enough packets arrive to start playing the audio stream. This takes only a few seconds.

Stopped - Indicates the audio has stopped, because you selected the stop button or because the end of the clip has been reached.

Paused - Indicates the audio has stopped because you selected the Pause button.

Playing xx.x local file - Indicates the algorithm with which the local RealAudio file was encoded.

Playing xx.x network stream - Indicates the algorithm with which the network RealAudio file was encoded.

Playing xx.x live stream - Indicates the algorithm with which the live RealAudio file is being encoded.

(Clip 1 of 2) - Indicates that the first clip of a multi-clip stream is being played.

Contacting Host - Indicates that the Player is requesting a file from a RealAudio Server.


 Clip Menu

Some RealAudio clips are several files played one after the other. Commands from the Clip menu allow you to move between clips in a multi-clip RealAudio (.ram) file. They are similar to the seek buttons on a CD player. If there is only one RealAudio clip at the link you are accessing, these options are not available.

Previous Clip and Next Clip are also available from the shortcut menu that appears when you right-click the mouse button in the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta window.

Menu Option	Description
Previous Clip	Select this option to play the previous clip in a multi-clip RealAudio (.ram) file.
Next Clip	Select this option to play the next clip in a multi-clip RealAudio (.ram) file.


 Sites Menu

Commands from the Site menu allow you to access various pages at the Progressive Networks and Timecast World Wide Web sites. This feature works with popular World Wide Web browsers including Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, Mosaic, Spyglass Mosaic, and Spry Mosaic. If you are connected to the Internet, and your World Wide Web browser is not open, the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta opens it for you.

Note: You must be connected to the Internet in order to reach these sites.

Menu Option	Description
RealAudio Home Page	Select this option to access the Progressive Networks Home Page.
Timecast: The RealAudio Guide	Select this option to access Timecast: the RealAudio Guide. Timecast contains a list of World Wide Web sites providing RealAudio content.
RealAudio Help Page	Select this option to access the RealAudio main help page.


 Help Menu

Commands from the Help menu provide you with online help and information about the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.

The latest support and technical information is available at:

http://www.realaudio.com/help.html

Please refer to the enclosed Technical Support Card for more information on contacting Progressive Networks Technical Support.

Menu Option	Description
Contents	Select this option to open the online help for the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.
About	Select this option to display the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta version and Copyright information.


Using the RealAudio Player Plus
 Using the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta

The RealAudio Player 3.0 beta enables you to click on a RealAudio link from your Web browser and begin playing audio instantly, without download delays. In addition, you can pause, rewind, fast-forward, stop, and start the audio at a click of a button.

See Also:

Starting a Clip

Pausing a Clip

Stopping a Clip


 Starting a Clip

There are several ways to start a RealAudio clip:

•	Click a RealAudio link on a World Wide Web page. Your World Wide Web browser opens the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta and the audio is streamed to the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta immediately. After storing a few seconds of audio (buffering), the clip begins.

•	Access a World Wide Web site or select an action that automatically plays a clip. Your World Wide Web browser opens the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta and the audio is streamed to the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta immediately. After storing a few seconds of audio (buffering), the clip begins.

•	Select Open File or Open Location from the File menu on the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta. For more information, refer to File Menu.

See Also:

Pausing a Clip

Stopping a Clip


 Pausing a Clip

You can pause a clip while it is playing by clicking the [image] button. This halts the audio stream. If you want to resume the clip at the same point it was paused, click the [image] button.

If you pause a clip but do not resume playing after several minutes, the RealAudio Server may terminate your connection. The length of time you can pause a clip without your connection terminating depends on the particular RealAudio Server.

See Also:

Starting a Clip

Stopping a Clip


 Stopping a Clip

You can stop a clip while it is playing by clicking the [image] button. The clip stops playing. To play the clip again from the beginning, click the [image] button.

See Also:

Starting a Clip

Pausing a Clip


 Setting Preferences

You can customize the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta by changing the settings in the Preferences window. The Preferences control various aspects of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta functionality such as the number of clips to remember, network information, and proxy information.

See Also:

General Preferences

Network Preferences

Proxy Preferences

Advanced Preferences

Language Preferences


 General Preferences

The General tab in the Preferences window contains preferences for clip memory, Synchronized Multimedia support, and CPU usage.

Field	Description
Remember the [ ] Most Recent Clips	Enter the number of clips that you want the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta to remember and display when using the Open Recent option from the File menu.
Synchronized Multimedia	Click this box to enable Synchronized Multimedia; a check mark appears in the box. When this option is enabled, the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta can trigger new World Wide Web pages during a RealAudio Synchronized Multimedia clip, thus providing a narrated slide show. You can disable this option by clicking the field again; the check mark is removed. When this option is disabled, the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta is unable to display visual content in Synchronized Multimedia sound clips.
Audio Quality versus CPU Usage	You can move the slider to control the Audio Quality versus CPU Usage. To achieve the best sound quality from the RealAudio 28.8 algorithm, your computer needs to quickly process a large quantity of Internet data. If your machine experiences a decrease in performance while playing a RealAudio file, slide this bar to change this setting. You will need to experiment to discover the best setting for your machine and Internet connection.


 Network Preferences

The Network tab in the Preferences window allows you to customize your network connection for the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.

The descriptions of these preferences assume a basic knowledge of Internet protocols and firewalls. For more information about firewalls, refer to our World Wide Web site at http://www.realaudio.com/firewall.html.

Field	Description
Receive Audio Via	Select UDP (User Datagram Protocol) or TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) as the method for receiving audio. By default, the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta receives data packets using UDP. If you cannot receive UDP packets because you are behind a packet-filtering firewall, set this preference to TCP. Note: If you use TCP with a modem, you may experience gaps in the audio stream.
Use Specified Port	Click this field if you want to configure the packet-filtering firewalls to receive UDP through one specified port. Enter the port number. The RealAudio Player 3.0 beta can receive UDP packets through any designated port between 1000 and 9999. Your firewall administrator should tell you what port to specify. Note: RealAudio TCP packets are only received through Port 7070.
Server Timeout	Enter the maximum number of seconds the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta should wait to connect to a RealAudio Server. If it does not connect within the specified time period, a Retry/Cancel message is displayed. A value of 0 means that the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta never times out.
Send Statistics	Click this field if you want the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta to send connection quality statistics to the RealAudio Server after playing a clip.  This feature helps connection providers assure transmission quality. This information is basically what you see in the Connection Statistics dialog and includes the number of packets received, lost in transmission, arrived late, arrived early, and arrived out of order. Note: The RealAudio Player 3.0 beta does not access or send the Server any information about your identity (your user name or e-mail address).
Loss Correction	Click this field if you want the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta to compensate for packets lost in transmission between the RealAudio Server and your RealAudio Player 3.0 beta. You may hear a momentary warble in the audio stream if packets are missing.  When Loss Correction is unchecked, the lost packets are dropped, causing a skip.


 Proxy Preferences

A proxy is a server that acts as an intermediary between a company's protected LAN and the Internet. For more information about proxies and firewalls, read http://www.realaudio.com/firewall.html. The proxy server insures that all data transmission between the Internet and a user on the LAN is authorized. The RealAudio Player 3.0 beta can be configured to work with proxy servers by setting the proxy preferences. If you set the Proxy preferences, you must enter a RealAudio Proxy and a HTTP Proxy.

Field	Description
Use Proxy	Click this box if the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta should connect to the Server using a proxy; a check mark appears in the field. Otherwise, do not click this box. Note: If you are behind a firewall and do not know the host name or port number of your proxy server, ask your firewall administrator.
RealAudio Proxy	Enter the domain name or IP address of the RealAudio proxy server and port number that the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta should use to communicate with the proxy server and stream the audio.  Note: For information on RealAudio Proxy, read http://www.realaudio.com/firewall.html
HTTP Proxy	Enter the domain name or IP address of the HTTP proxy server and port number that the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta should use to communicate with the proxy server and the World Wide Web server. This should be set to the same port as your browser, check your World Wide Web browsers proxy configuration.
No Proxy for: [Host 1, Host2...]	If you have specified that the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta should be connected to the Server using a proxy, you can specify certain local hosts (domain names or IP Addresses) with which you do not need to communicate using the proxy server. Enter these hosts in this field. This field is only available if you have enabled the Use Proxy option. Your firewall administrator can provide you with this information, if appropriate.


 Advanced Preferences

Options on the Advanced tab of the Preferences window override the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta defaults for sound card compatibility. You dont need these options unless you are having troubles with sound quality.

Field	Description
Disable 16-bit sound (use 8-bit only)	Click this field if you want to force your sound card to play only 8-bit sound; a check mark appears. Use this option only if there is evidence of compatibility problems with your sound card. The RealAudio Player 3.0 beta normally delivers 16-bit audio to the sound card. The RealAudio Player 3.0 beta should automatically detect if the sound card only supports 8-bit audio, and then deliver 8-bit audio.
Disable custom sampling rates	Click this field if you want to force your sound card to play only 11 kHz sound; a check mark appears. Use this option only if there is evidence of compatibility problems with your sound card, for example clips play at the wrong speed or sound scratchy or distorted. The RealAudio Player 3.0 beta normally delivers 8 kHz audio to the sound card. If your sound card does not support the 8 kHz sampling rate, the audio may sound high-pitched or too fast. When this option is selected, the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta  changes audio to 11 kHz before delivering it to the sound card. This option increases CPU usage slightly.


 Language Preferences

The setting on the Language tab of the Preferences window determines the language used within the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.

Field	Description
Current Language	This field displays the language being used within the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta
Installed Languages	Select the language you want to use within the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta menus and windows. Note: Please contact Progressive Networks regarding information on languages available for the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.


 Troubleshooting

For the latest information on RealAudio products, visit the Progressive Networks home page at:

http://www.realaudio.com

A technical knowledge base, frequently asked questions list and technical library are available from our web site at:

http://www.realaudio.com/help.html

Please refer to your Technical Support Card for more information on contacting Progressive Networks Technical Support.

See Also:

How do I configure my browser to support RealAudio?

What's wrong when the sound is poor?

Why doesn't my RealAudio Player 3.0 beta have a Volume Control slider?

What causes RealAudio clips to occasionally skip?

Why can't I play RealAudio clips on my computer at work?


 How do I configure my browser to support RealAudio?

With most browsers, the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta installation configures the browser to support RealAudio. If you change your browser and it stops recognizing RealAudio files, reinstall the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta. To manually configure your World Wide Web browser, do the following:

1.	Open the Options or Preferences or Settings menu.

2.	Select the Helper Applications or similar option.

3.	Look for "audio/x-pn-realaudio" in the File type list. If an entry exists, select the entry.

Otherwise, click New Type. Enter audio as the Mime Type. Enter xpnrealaudio as the Mime SubType. Click OK.

4.	Enter ra,ram in the Extensions field.

5.	Select the Launch Application option. Browse and find the directory in which the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta is installed.

6.	Select RealAudio (raplayer.exe) as the application to launch.


What sound quality should I be expecting? What's wrong when the sound is poor?
 What's wrong when the sound is poor?

The sound quality should be similar to FM mono. If the sound quality is below AM radio transmission (garbled or choppy speech, skipping, etc.), use the following to isolate and correct the problem. If the audio quality was poor when the "Setup is Complete" file was played (during the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta installation), try configuring the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta or your sound card.

If the audio quality was poor from a particular site, use the Connection Statistics window in the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta to check for lost packets. If the packet loss is high, it may be due to a busy network. Connect to the site at a later time.

If the audio quality is poor on every site, do the following:

1.	Check the actual modem connection speed. This may be shown in the lighted display for external modems, or through an information window if you have an internal modem (check the user manual for your modem). Sometimes service providers use a lower rate connection speed such as 14.4, so even though you are dialing in on a 28.8 modem, you are only receiving data at 14.4 Kbps.

2.	For a 14.4 connection on an Apple Duo, go to the modem properties window and turn off the compression control. Compression uses CPU cycles that the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta may need. Since RealAudio files are already compressed, this utility is not necessary. Turning off compression will not affect your computer's other operations.

3.	If you are using an external modem with a Windows PC and the Connections Statistics window shows minimal packet loss (10% or less), there may be a problem with the speed at which packets are transferred between the modem and serial card. Try setting the port speed higher (at least twice the modem speed).


Why doesn't my RealAudio Player Plus have a Volume Control slider?
 Why doesn't my RealAudio Player 3.0 beta have a Volume Control slider?

Be sure a check mark appears next to the Info & Volume command on the View menu. If the check mark does not appear, select Info & Volume from the View menu.

If the sound card installed in your computer does not support volume control, the Volume Control slider does not appear on the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.


 What causes RealAudio clips to occasionally skip?

There are two possible reasons:

•	Starting or quitting large applications while playing RealAudio can cause a brief disruption of the playback.

•	When you use PerfectPlay mode with a live stream, occasional gaps in the audio will occur when your RealAudio Player 3.0 beta skips to keep up with the network.


 Why can't I play RealAudio clips on my computer at work?

If you're on a local area network which is attached to the Internet, and are unable to play RealAudio files from remote Web sites, it's possible that your company's firewall is preventing the RealAudio stream from reaching you. Users can receive live and on-demand audio from the Internet without exposing their company's network to security risks.

If your computer is behind a firewall, please see Progressive Networks firewall page for more information: http://www.realaudio.com/firewall.html


Play/Pause Button

This button plays or pauses a clip depending on the status of the clip.


Stop Button

Click the [image] button to stop the clip.


Fast Forward/Rewind Buttons

Click either the [image] button or the [image] button to fast forward or rewind the RealAudio clip in 10 second intervals.


Position Slider

The slider moves as a clip is being played. You can fast forward or rewind to a different section of the audio clip by dragging the slider.


Link to the Progressive Networks Home Page

If you are connected to the Internet, click this button to link to the Progressive Networks Home Page - the Home of RealAudio. The icon displayed changes depending on the action of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.


Volume Control

The volume control indicates the volume at which the clip is being played. You can increase the volume by dragging the control up, and decrease the volume by dragging the control down.


Status Bar

The status bar displays the current action of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta. For example: Buffering, Playing 28.8 Network Stream, or Paused.


Stereo Indicator

This graphic indicates whether the clip currently being played is mono or stereo.

 - Indicates that the clip being played is stereo.

 - Indicates that the clip being played is mono.


Elapsed Time/Total Time

The Elapsed Time is the length of time that the clip has been playing. The Total Time is the length of the entire clip.

Note: When playing a live stream, the Total Time value is 00.00.0.


Title, Author and Copyright Text

The content provider specifies the text in these fields; they normally describe the clip being played.


File

Commands from the File menu allow you to play RealAudio files without using your Web browser to find files on the Internet and to exit the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.


View

Commands from the View menu allow you to control the appearance, to customize the operation, and view the performance of the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.


Clip

Commands from the Clip menu allow you to move between clips in a multi-clip RealAudio (.ram) file. They are similar to the seek buttons on a CD player. If there is only one RealAudio clip at the link you are accessing, these options are not available.

Previous Clip and Next Clip are also available from the shortcut menu that appears when you click the right mouse button anywhere in the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta window.


Sites

Commands from the Site menu allow you to access various pages at the Progressive Networks and Timecast World Wide Web sites. This feature works with popular World Wide Web browsers including Netscape, Internet Explorer, Mosaic, Spyglass Mosaic, and Spry Mosaic. If you are connected to the Internet, and your World Wide Web browser is not open, the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta opens it for you.

Note: You must be connected to the Internet in order to reach these sites.


Help

Commands from the Help menu provide you with online help and information about the RealAudio Player 3.0 beta.